Critical Mass Radio Show

Jay Rogers is an investment professional and entrepreneur with almost three decades in the financial services industry. His career began with such firms as Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo and Bear Stearns and later transitioned to working full time with family offices and creating diverse investment portfolios. Alpha Strategies was established in 2009 by a group of highly experienced investment professionals with a shared belief that qualified investors are still underserved in their access to deep domain expertise in alternative investments generating consistently high levels of “pure” alpha. It has since grown into a diversified financial services company with specialties in alternative investment consulting and management. Jay has been a trusted advisor to multiple family offices and is instrumental in syndicating private investment opportunities among family offices and institutional investors nationwide. These opportunities include real estate, private debt & equity, and venture capital. Jay also acts as

Chris Skaling is the visionary founder and CEO of NAITIVE, an innovative AI Consulting Agency that is transforming the consulting landscape. With over 15 years of experience in AI integration and cloud transformations, Chris is at the forefront of pioneering AI-driven solutions that redefine how businesses operate. At NAITIVE, Chris leads a team dedicated to offering a fresh, personalized approach to consulting. One notable achievement includes developing an AI Agent team for a real estate firm. This groundbreaking solution autonomously scans specialized data to identify target clients, generates personalized marketing material, and translates complex data queries into real-time insights—all through natural language processing. Such innovations empower clients to make informed decisions with unprecedented speed and precision, exemplifying NAITIVE's commitment to transforming industries. Chris's journey from architecting data solutions for global tech giants to founding NAITIVE reflects his passion for challen

Polina Kratova is the Founder and CEO of RiseUP Stars, a pioneering organization in youth enrichment and education. With over a decade of experience working with tech-enabled startups and building impactful programs, Polina has dedicated her career to empowering young minds through innovative, hands-on learning experiences. RiseUP Stars is a leading provider of enrichment programs that span before, during, and after-school settings, as well as structured recess and out-of-school camps. Under Polina’s leadership, the organization has expanded to reach thousands of students in California, offering unique opportunities in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math), wellness, and mindfulness education. -- Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at REF Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com. 

Tom Wood is a seasoned entrepreneur and industry expert with a passion for helping business maximize profits and increase their bottom line. As the CEO of Silent Streams, he has successfully saved companies millions of dollars and increased employees' benefits at the same time. With a keen eye for innovation and a commitment to excellence, Tom is dedicated to changing the way business owners approach cost containment and risk mitigation. Silent Streams is an industry leader and completely revolutionizes the way businesses operate by providing innovative solutions in cost containment and value-added services. Our cutting-edge technology and expert team help businesses dramatically increase bottom line profits and create healthier and more profitable work environments for their employees. Whether you're a small business owner or a large corporation, we can help you achieve your goals and drive growth without risk or financial investment. -- Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running

Known as The Transformational Book Coach for “cause publishing,” Susie Schaefer believes that books are the gateway to creating a movement. Whether writing a book helps an author heal past trauma or raise awareness for social change, Susie empowers storytellers to be part of the global conversation and create a ripple effect for humanity, particularly when an author shares their own story in connection to their mission, message, and community. Susie's bestselling books include A Path to Purpose: Seven Inspired Stories to Discover Your True North, The Pivot Project: Stories to Inspire the Shift in Your Life, Your First Book: The Publishing Guide for New Authors, and The Escape: How to Leave Your Abusive Relationship Safely (International Impact Book Award). -- Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at REF Orange County. Learn

Shannon Chapman graduated from Mission Viejo High School in 2000, making her way to SDSU days before her 18th birthday. She wanted to be a teacher, so she majored in English & had her BA by 2004. She was 21 when she graduated college & set out to become a teacher abroad. Instead, she welcomed a baby boy at age 23 with half of her credential completed & a job as a substitute teacher. This was not exactly how she had imagined her pathway into teaching, but she knew she would somehow, someway, accomplish her goals. Fast forward a few years & she was living in Orange County again, working as an executive assistant for Pepsico. She was learning the beverage industry, but she was also learning how to run a business. A year or so later, she moved on to Pepsi Bottling Group, learning sales, marketing & anything she could about small-format business. She became the number one sales rep in CA, breaking records and exceeding quotas. From there she took over a dive bar for a friend who wanted out of t

Jenn Quader is President & CEO of The Smart Agency, a 30-year-old company she acquired in 2018 that is now the leading professional communications firm for commercial real estate and financial services companies in the United States. Her personal mission is to empower the next generation of confident communicators by sharing her voice in the global movement toward empathetic and human-first business leadership. Jenn honed her skills working on behalf of major companies such as Fox/MGM Entertainment, Ford Motor Company, Michelin, and Mazda before specializing in commercial real estate. Today, in addition to leading her company, she is a poet, author, and now a recording artist with her debut vocal jazz album called “Love, In All Its Forms.” -- Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at REF Orange County. Learn more about Ri

John Cervenka is the CEO and a co-founder of Starfish Social Media Inc. Starfish is a fast growing global social media platform that enables users to promote their good, connect with others that share common interests, and easily connect with the causes they about. Prior to launching Starfish, John was an Institutional Advisor with Morgan Stanley. Before joining Morgan Stanley, John was a producer and writer with FOX Studios, Sony Television, Spike TV and Game Show Network. John attended the University of Southern California and the Thunderbird School of Global Management. He and his wife, Kerry, live in Southern California and have 4 children. Steven Mott, COO and co-founder of Starfish Social Media Inc., is an experienced business professional with a focus on Real Estate Construction and Management. He has worked with Williams-Sonoma and Dole Foods, among other top-tier companies. Founding Starfish Social Media is the result of Steven’s desire to create a legacy and make a difference with his time and treas

Ian Tonks is an expert EOS Implementer at EOS Worldwide. Through the Entrepreneurial Operating System™, Ian Tonks combines timeless business principles with a set of simple, practical, real-world tools to help entrepreneurs get what they want from their businesses, enabling them to crystalize their vision, instill discipline and accountability throughout the organization, and build healthy, functional and collaborative work teams. His journey to EOS began in the late 1990s, when he spent seven years running a 650-employee company that provided youth sports programming to a variety of professional sports organizations, including Major League Soccer, the NFL and Jack Nickalus’ Golden Bear International. After getting married in 2006, he traded the grind of 100,000+ flight miles a year for the short commute to a private Bay Area University, where he led several capital fundraising campaigns and saw the institution through its transition to NCAA division 2. In 2009, he launched a business development practice to

Sebastian Zelger, born in 1988 in Germany, is the CEO of Liqui Moly USA. His early experiences with low-paying and physically exhausting vacation jobs during high school fueled his determination to pursue higher education and a successful career. While studying, Zelger gained hands-on experience at prominent companies like Porsche AG in Stuttgart and Carl Zeiss in Aalen. In 2014, Sebastian joined Liqui Moly as a junior export sales manager, where he underwent two years of intensive training. His hard work and dedication paid off when he was appointed CEO of Liqui Moly USA. At the start of his leadership, the company had just 10 employees and annual sales of $10 million. Over the span of eight years, Zelger successfully grew the business, expanding the team to over 70 professionals and increasing sales to more than $100 million annually. -- Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the O

Scott Cannon is the CEO of OC-based BigRentz, a leading procurement software company that solves long-standing challenges in construction by streamlining equipment procurement and improving logistics. The platform connects contractors to over 14,000 rental yards and 6,000 rental companies across the U.S., reducing inefficiencies in a traditionally fragmented industry. With BigRentz’s expansive network, 90% of job sites nationwide are reachable within 30 minutes, helping contractors optimize operations, cut transportation costs, and enhance project efficiency. -- Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at REF Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com. 

Curtis McCullom is a Human Potential Coach, Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, speaker, and trainer with over 35 years of experience in self-improvement and personal development. As the CEO of the Curtis McCullom Group LLC, Bespoke Human Potential Coaching, Curtis helps individuals and entrepreneurs break through mindset blocks, increase income, and find fulfillment through his L.G.E.T. Mindset™ (Learning, Growing, Expanding, and Transforming) framework. Certified in hypnotherapy, Master Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), Master Mental Emotional Release ® (MER), and Executive Coach, Curtis integrates these modalities into his coaching programs to help clients achieve profound transformations in life and business. Passionate about empowering others to become the best version of themselves, Curtis is dedicated to teaching the principles of personal growth, transformation, and alignment with core values. -- Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on of

For more than 25 years, Bill Wilhelm has played a pivotal role in helping shape R.D. Olson Construction to become one of the nation’s leading general contractors, commemorating 40 years in business this year. Under Wilhelm’s leadership, R.D. Olson Construction has earned an award-winning reputation across the Western U.S. and Hawaii for projects spanning hospitality, multi-unit, adaptive reuse, education and senior living. The firm has been repeatedly recognized by Engineering News-Record as a Top 400 Construction Company Nationwide and Top 40 General Contractor in California. Wilhelm has spearheaded some of R.D. Olson Construction’s most iconic projects and continues to cultivate the company’s nationwide reputation as a trusted, relationship-focused builder. Notable projects completed under his leadership include Lido House, Los Angeles’ NoMad Hotel, Irvine Spectrum Marriott, Paséa Hotel and Spa, Chapman University’s Reeves Hall and Atria Senior Living, among many others. Wilhelm’s hands-on leadership approa

Paul Brinkman has spent 15 years in management consulting, bringing expertise in Process Improvement, Cost Reduction, and Value Creation for his transportation consulting customers. Paul recently purchased Trans-Solutions, a business focused on strategic planning and execution for clients' Supply Chain needs, creating efficiency in modality and transportation, as well as leading carrier sourcing negotiations and operational optimization initiatives. In addition to his expertise in Supply Chain, Paul has also assisted customers with their Print, Mail & Packaging needs. This includes corrugated, non-corrugated and bottling solutions. Paul holds a Bachelor of Science, Business Administration from University of Southern California with an emphasis in Financial Analysis & Valuation. -- Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner

Richard Cabrera is an Executive Vice President at Umpqua Bank and the Head of Commercial Banking for Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington. He has been with Umpqua since 2016 and leads the bank’s asset-based lending division, debt capital markets, and corporate banking operations. Under his leadership, the bank has expanded and growth the Commercial Banking division. Prior to his time at Umpqua, Cabrera worked for California Bank and Bank of America in a variety of leadership roles. A fourth-generation Californian with a lifelong affinity for numbers, Cabrera is dedicated to serving the vibrant business communities within California and Umpqua’s broader footprint. He is a graduate of San Diego State University. Cabrera and his wife, Karen, reside in Southern California. They have three adult children and two grandchildren. -- Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market busi

Julie Keyes is a Business Consultant and Certified Exit Planner based in Central Minnesota. Her company, KeyeStrategies has worked with business owners of private companies since 2012. Julie’s been an entrepreneur herself for many years and has won numerous national awards for her work in exit planning. She a member of the Exit Planning Institute’s Leadership Council and faculty, as well as a contributor to its online Academy. She instructs business owners and advisors from across the country on topics related to exit planning and business transition readiness. Julie's speaking and teaching engagements for various professional organizations include but are not limited to: Exit Planning Institute, Independent Electrical Contractors Association, MN State Bar Association, MN Society of CPAs, NAIFA, Women in Insurance and Financial Services, Edward Jones, Financial Planners Association, National Association of Women Business Owners, RBC, Merrill, Independent Business Brokers Association, Lincoln Financial Service

Brett Buettner is the President of Buettner Insurance Agency, a full-spectrum employee benefits firm located in Orange County, California. Brett helps companies grow, maintain top talent, and reach their goals by providing boutique employee benefit solutions to his clients alongside HR technologies and compliance tools. He is a 3rd Generation broker, has been on the Board of OCAHU (now called CAHIP-Orange County), and is a select broker to be a part of carrier roundtables to participate in discussions centered around the insurance market, what clients want and need from the insurance carriers, and the future of healthcare. Buettner Insurance Agency, Inc. has been serving clients since 1992, and has achieved multiple excellence statuses with insurance carriers. -- Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at REF Orange County. Le

David Bagga is the CEO of the David Bagga Company, founded in 2013. Since its inception, David has successfully placed over 600 candidates in medical device sales jobs and is ranked in the top 1% of sales recruiters across the U.S. on LinkedIn. David is the author of "A Millennial's Guide to Breaking into Medical Device Sales" and holds the title of the most recommended medical device sales recruiter on LinkedIn, with over 270 recommendations year-to-date. In addition to his recruitment work, he provides a 1:1 coaching program for candidates seeking to enter the medical device sales field and is currently developing a course, scheduled for release in 2025. Before his career in recruitment, Bagga played college basketball at the University of Arizona from 2005 to 2009. He went on to play professionally in the British Basketball League in England during the 2009-2010 season as part of FIBA. -- Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value a

Ajay Prasad, Founder and CEO of RepuGen (founded in 2016), is a healthcare marketing leader passionate about aligning online reviews with patient satisfaction. He recognized a critical gap – most healthcare providers' online reviews don't reflect their high internal satisfaction ratings. This disconnect hurts businesses, as over 80% of patients rely on online reviews when choosing a doctor. Ajay established RepuGen to bridge this gap, empowering healthcare providers to showcase their excellence and attract patients seeking top-notch care. Previously, Ajay founded GMR Web Team (2004), a thriving digital marketing agency for healthcare providers. Ajay believes patient satisfaction, stellar reviews, and a strong web presence are the cornerstones of a successful healthcare business. This philosophy guides his work at RepuGen, ensuring clients not only shine online but also prioritize patient experience. -- Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offer

Shane Silsby has 25 years of experience influencing strategic planning, public policy, organizational development, and the delivery of major infrastructure projects. His expansive career includes executive leadership roles in the private sector and with government agencies across the country, including his last public sector post as the Director of Orange County Public Works. As the current CEO of Silsby Strategic Advisors, he is now focused on helping public agencies develop creative solutions to complex challenges, including strategies around federal funding acquisition and implementation. Mr. Silsby holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in civil engineering from Michigan State University, is a current member of the American Public Works Association national government affairs committee and has recently authored and published the book “Managing for Meteors: Preparing Local Government Leaders Before the Impact.” -- Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, f